Fort Collins Fights Droughts with Garden in a Box

Even though we've gotten enough water this year to ease concerns about having a drought, water conservation experts have a new concern.

They're warning Fort Collins residents to not become complacent about water usage this year, and that residents should take advantage of the moisture by preparing for the drier months that are to come.

The City of Fort Collins and Resource Central, a nonprofit that helps the public conserve water, are urging residents to participate in a program called Garden In A Box.

Garden In A Box offers low-water garden kits tailor-made for Colorado landscapes by replacing lawns with drought-tolerant gardens which can help to reduce outdoor watering use by up to 60%, according to the City of Fort Collins.

"We're concerned that recent storms may cloud memories of drought," said Neal Lurie, president of Resource Central. "Mother Nature has given us the precious gift of precipitation, ideal conditions to get water-wise plants established."

"In the past eight years, Front Range families have planted more than 500,000 drought-tolerant plants through this program, saving more than 100 million gallons of water." -The City of Fort Collins

Lurie adds, "As a community, we can't afford to get complacent around conservation. Even if the next spring storm is just around the corner, it's important to rethink your yard before its thirsty."